A 25-year-old man is facing federal charges for possession of an unregistered firearm after state authorities discovered numerous weapons in his home while investigating threats he made online, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Kentucky.
Kentucky State Police began investigating in late April after Jeremiah Wooley posted threatening comments against the state’s governor and state troopers on Facebook using a pseudonym, according to an affidavit filed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as part of a criminal complaint filed Tuesday.
Wooley made the comments under a video titled “Kentucky Governor sends State Troopers to Church to Enforce Social Distancing,” the complaint says.
One of those comments included, “When would it be acceptable to go and kill this guy,” while another mentioned “people getting arrested for doing drive through communion yet a drive through at McDonald’s can still operate,” according to the affidavit.
CNN has reached out to the office of Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, but has not received a response.
Kentucky State Police arrested Wooley for third-degree terroristic threatening.
Wooley was found with two handguns on him when officers went to arrest him, according to the complaint.
During a search of his home, state authorities discovered 12 weapons, including assault-style firearms, shotguns, and rifles, according to the ATF affidavit. Also confiscated was a .50 caliber rifle.
They also found 50 hand grenades, only one of which was operable, with all of the materials necessary to assemble a grenade, as well as explosive powder.
According to the affidavit, Wooley admitted to posting comments under the fake name and said the explosive powder was for fireworks.
He faces up to 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release for the federal charge, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
It is unclear if Wooley has an attorney, or when he will make his first court appearance.
